Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-03-04
IDAHO COUNTY MINES.

This county, geographically consid-
cred, occupies the central portion Of
the territory, extending from Oregon on
the west, to Montana upon the east.
1t is drained by Salmon river and its
innumerable tributaries for the most
part. some of the northern portion hav-
ing an outlet through various branches
of the Clearwater. 1t is essentially a
mining county, there being only about
seven tow nships of arabic land in the
northwest corner, locally known as
Camas prairie.
The mining camps of this county
were among the earliest discovered in
the territory, and Florence, Elk city
and Warreus have for many years been
noted for their large yield of gold from
placer ground. These mines are gen.
orally shallow, with good facilities for
working. and the best of them were
long since exhausted. The inevitable
Chinaman came. He was willing to
pay what seemed to the white owners
large prices for nearly exhausted ground,
and for the last ten years has almost
monopolised this branch of mining.
White men, it is true, have retained
some good claims in all parts of the
county, but many have turned their
attention to vein mining and more have
sought new fields of labor.
FLORENCE DISTRICT.
Placer mining here is principally
carried on by Cinnamon. and the pro-
ductiOn has not differed materially from
that of preceding years and may be
estimated al $4,000.
The Harpster and Liddle, silver
ledge four miles south of the town of
Florence, which was opened to some
extent twenty years ago and abandoned,
is now owned by S. S. Fem and Phil
Cleary. Much work has been done
during the year retimbering old ground
and exploring new. 1t is well defined
vein from three to FIVE feet wide, and
the ore is said to assay quite uniformly
from $50 to 25O OF. per ton, with some
gold. An average lot sent to San Fran
cisco for treatment sampled l4O OF.
Near the town a number of locations
have been made by Prof. Welch, John
Lee and Co.. T. d. Swarts and others
upon several gold-bearing veins. Much
surface prospecting has been done, and
two or three arastrars built, and the
production from the extremely rich
surface has aggregated several thousand
dollars.
SALMON RIVER.
This district includes grand bars scat
tered here and there for sixty miles
above its mouth. The leading mine is
| near Slate creek and is owned by Small
Bros, and Co., of Walla Walla. 1t COM
prises 100 acres with depth of 80 to 100
feet. A new ditch bringing water from
Slate creek was lately completed at a
cost of $25, 900. The claim is we'll APP
pointed, and although worked 25 years.
cannot be exhausted ina century. The
total yield of the district may be placed
at $50, 900, one third being produced by
one claim.
ELK CRY.
The production Of gold in this distric,
for 1886 has been greater than for sew
eral previous years. Old claims have
been worked with greater vigor and
improved appliances, and much new
ground has been opened and worked by
both white men aud Cinnamon. The
gold production may be estimated al
$75, 900.
!! WAaRENs DISTRICT.
This district Is situated on the souti
side of Salmon river and comprises tn,
area drained by Warrens creek and it
tributaries. Situated at an elevation o
500 to 1000 feet above sea level, th'
winters are severe and much snow falls
but the district is we'll watered durini
the mining season. As usual, the place
mining is mostly in the hands of Chi
namen. Nine companies have acquired
by purchase about two miles Of the be-
of the principal creek. They keep abon
800 men az work for seven months q
the year. The production Is reporte
AZ follows:
. Fow Wing Co ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ,&55t
Fook Sing Co -......................... iW
Lin .l7,1'
Hung Wa. .........................,. 1,U
Wing Wa a....................... ........-. S,O'
Shun Lee Observation-Disclosures. %
Sing Wa ,..................,....... ..n'o